Black History Month A Biography of A.Philip Randolph By Adam Herrick 3/10/09

Overview Slide 3-10 Biography Information Other Achievements and Date of Death Sources Quotes

Randolph was born on April 15, 1889 in Crescent City, Florida. Randolph began his education starting in Crescent City, but later attended The College of the City of New York. Biography Information

Randolph first began efforts on behalf of African American laborers while he was working as a waiter on a coastal steamship. During WWI, Randolph attempted to unionize shipyard workers in Virginia, and elevator operators in New York, and founded The Messenger, a magazine designed to encourage African American laborers to demand higher wages. Biography Information

Randolph organized a great number of significant steps toward the beginning of African American rights including: The Prayer Pilgrimage of The Civil Rights Billing in 1957, The 1958 and 1959 Marches for School Integration, The 1963 March on Washington, and paved the way for the Civil Rights Acts of both 1964 and 1968, and the Voting Rights Act of Biography Information

This caused President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sign an order, six months before Pearl Harbor, calling an end to discrimination in defense plant jobs. In July of 1948, Randolph fought Segregation and Jim Crow in the Army, Navy, and Air Force

Because of this significant turn of events, the first March on Washington never had to be held. President Truman then signed an order to end all discrimination of African Americans in all military and federal service careers. In 1914, Randolph married Mrs.Lucille E Green, a widow. The couple had no children. Biography Information

In 1963, Randolph headed the March on Washington, in which more than Americans marched under the slogan of Jobs and Freedom. In 1966, Randolph presented the Freedom Budget to the nation. It called for the spending of $185 billion over the next ten years to fight poverty.

When Randolph was involved in WWII, a number of new companies supported him, but later came under Communist control. When Randolph refused to work with them, he was proclaimed a traitor, even more so when he refused to support a stand against aid to the enemies of Hitler, during the Nazi - Soviet pact. Biography Information

Randolph was the second son of the Rev. James William Randolph, a tailor and ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and Elizabeth Robinson Randolph, a skilled seamstress. Randolph graduated first of his class.

Randolph achieved many other great things while he was alive, including Founding the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Becoming a Vice President of the AFL-CIO. Randolph also had the unique talent of persuading with reason alone. Randolph never used violence or bribery in his protest. Asa Philip Randolph died on in New York City on May 16 th in the year Achievements and Date of Death

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Quotes The words and deeds of A.Philip Randolph show us the unyielding strength of his life-long struggle for full human rights for blacks and all the disinherited in the nation.”-Randolph, Asa Philip - D.S Davis

Quotes “ Salvation for a race, nation or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given;its is extracted. And the struggle must be continuous for freedom is never a final fact, but a continuing evolving process to higher and higher levels of human,social,economic,political and religious relationship.”-A.Philip Randolph